Cogswell & Harrison Avant Tout
Cogswell & Harrison Ltd · Shotgun · Discontinued · 1888
Also known as: Avant Tout, Avant Tout Sandhurst Model, Cogswell & Harrison Avant-Tout
Overview
The Cogswell & Harrison Avant Tout is a British 12-bore side-by-side boxlock ejector shotgun made by the long-established London gunmaker Cogswell & Harrison. A classic assisted-opening game gun, the Avant Tout pairs a hammerless boxlock action with selective ejectors, dovetailed steel barrels engraved with the maker's name and the 'Avant Tout' rib legend, and a straight-hand English walnut stock with a splinter forend. Typically built on 2 1/2 inch chambers with 28 to 30 inch barrels and double triggers, it represented Cogswell & Harrison's popular mid-grade field offering, positioned below the firm's higher-tier sidelock guns. A side-plated 'Sandhurst Model' variant added extra engraving surface. Specifications vary considerably between individual guns as each was a craft-built sporting arm.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 2950 g (104.1 oz) |
| Overall Length | 1175 mm (46.26") |
| Barrel Length | 762 mm (30.00") |
| Action Type | Break Action |
| Firing Mechanism | Internal Hammer |
| Trigger Type | Single Action |
| Magazine Capacity | 2 rounds |
| Muzzle Velocity | 400 m/s (1312 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 2560 J (1888 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 40 m (44 yd) |
| Barrel Rifling | Smoothbore |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Walnut |
| Finish | Blued |
Calibers
- 12 Gauge · primary — also known as 12GA, 12 Bore
Features
- Firing modes: Manual
- Feed systems: Break Open Double Barrel
- Safety mechanisms: Manual Safety, Automatic Safety
- Features: Side By Side Barrels, Boxlock Action, Assisted Opening, Selective Ejectors, Splinter Forend, Double Trigger, Engraved Action
Variants
- Cogswell & Harrison Avant Tout Sandhurst Model - Side Plated Deluxe
Service history
Operators
- British game and field shooters
Production
Production years: 1888-mid 20th century
Built in modest numbers as a craft-made game gun; the Avant Tout name appears on Cogswell & Harrison guns from the late 1880s through the first half of the 20th century in several grades.
Origin
Country of origin: United Kingdom
Notes
Avant Tout is French for 'above all'; the name was used as a Cogswell & Harrison trade/grade designation rather than a single fixed specification, so barrel length, chambering, weight and stock dimensions differ between examples. Many surviving guns carry London nitro proof for 2 1/2 inch chambers and weigh roughly 6 1/2 to 7 pounds.
Background
Cogswell & Harrison, one of London's oldest gunmaking houses with roots traced to 1770, applied evocative French and Latin names such as 'Avant Tout' and 'Certus' across its sporting-gun grades. The Avant Tout became one of the firm's best-known boxlock game guns and examples regularly appear in British sporting-gun auctions today.